Watercolor Bleed Technique

Learn a watercolor technique for spreading and mixing colors from one image to another.

Supplies

Step-by-Step

1. Step 1

   Trace the die cut shapes, not overlapping but touching at the edges.

   

2. Step 2

   Fill in the first shape with water only.

   

3. Step 3

   Fill in the shape with color.

   

4. Step 4

   Fill in the second shape with water only, starting from the side furthest from the first shape. Finish filling in and at the end, tap the edge where the shapes touch with the wet brush so that the ink from the first shape starts to bleed into the second shape.

   

5. TIP:
   You can tilt your paper to help the color bleed if you need to.

   

6. Step 5

   Fill in the rest of the second shape with the next color, be sure not to touch the bleed area.

   

7. Step 6

   Repeat the steps to fill in the remaining shapes.

   

8. Step 7

   Variation: instead of multiple shapes, try the technique by creating sections within a single shape.

   

9. Step 8

   Use the panels to complete cards or other projects.

   

Video!

Your Turn

You've seen the tutorial, now you try it! We've got a section of the gallery set aside for Watercolor Bleed Technique. Try this technique, then upload your artwork to the gallery. Show us your creations!

***Please note - Internet Explorer/Edge is not a supported browser, and will not allow you to see the videos. Please use Chrome, Firefox or Safari to view our tutorial videos.